DA warned that repeated delays could result in another year where pupils are only placed after schools reopen.
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With the second half of the year under way, the Gauteng department of education (GDE) has yet to announce when applications for Grade 1 and Grade 8 admissions for the 2027 academic year will open, prompting concerns over another pupil placement crisis.
The DA has criticised the delay, warning that the lack of communication is creating uncertainty for thousands of Gauteng parents and could lead to a repeat of the admissions challenges experienced this year.
However, the GDE said planning for the 2027 admissions process is already under way and that the official application dates will be announced by Gauteng education MEC Lebogang Maile “in due course”.
DA warns of another admissions crisis
DA Gauteng shadow MEC for education Sergio Isa Dos Santos on Monday said the department’s failure to publish the admissions timetable halfway through the year was concerning.
“The DA reiterates its call on the GDE to prevent another disaster by urgently announcing the opening and closing dates for the 2027 Grade 1 and Grade 8 online admissions process, as well as the dates for the late applications process,” he said.
Dos Santos argued that while parents are encouraged to prepare well in advance to secure school placements, the department had not communicated “even the most basic admissions timetable”.
“This lack of communication confirms that this is not an administrative glitch, but a consistent pattern of poor planning and weak leadership that is failing the residents of Gauteng,” he said.
He warned that repeated delays could result in another year where pupils are only placed after schools reopen.
“The longer the department delays announcing the admissions timetable, the less time remains to process applications, verify information, finalise placements and deal with appeals before the start of the 2027 academic year.”
The party also questioned the department’s claims regarding available school capacity, saying that despite informing the Gauteng legislature’s education portfolio committee in January that 53 234 Grade 1 and Grade 8 spaces were available, many schools remain overcrowded.
Admissions plan is in place – GDE
Speaking to The Citizen, GDE spokesperson Onwabile Lubhelwana said the department had already prepared a comprehensive admissions management plan for the 2027 academic year.
“The GDE can confirm that the 2027 online admissions application period has not yet commenced. The official opening date for applications will be announced by the Gauteng MEC for education in due course,” Lubhelwana said.
He said details on “key admissions milestones, including the timelines for applications and placement offers” would be communicated once the MEC officially announced the 2027 online admissions process.
Lubhelwana added that the department continuously monitors pupil population growth, migration patterns and enrolment trends across Gauteng to guide planning.
“To proactively address these pressures, the department has implemented interventions aimed at expanding schooling capacity in high-demand areas. These include the construction and opening of new schools, the provision of additional classrooms, and the expansion of infrastructure at existing schools where feasible,” he said.
The GDE has not indicated when the admissions timetable will be released.
